Nutrition

Healthy Eating Plan Comparison Healthy Eating Plan Comparison 2011 Adiel Hernandez Instructor Dawna Bennett SCI/241 Axia College 8/7/2011 2011 Adiel Hernandez Instructor Dawna Bennett SCI/241 Axia College 8/7/2011 I have always admired the people who are very dedicated when it comes to their nutrition and control what types of food they consume. I have always been variable when it comes to my nutrition. Although, during the past few weeks I have changed my nutrition a little bit from what I am used to, I would like to share how I have managed the change. During the past weeks I have learned to understand better the concepts of nutrition. For instance, I have gotten better at eating breakfast because that was one of the meals that I had always avoided. I never avoided breakfast on purpose, it would just happen. I would wake up late and rush myself to work and get caught up in my job that I would forget to eat the most important meal of the day. As I went through these past weeks, I tried harder to wake up a little earlier than normal just to make sure to eat something for breakfast and not leave to work with an empty stomach. I was never used to eating breakfast since my mother never taught us that it was important. Now I can see how it all makes sense. When I do not eat breakfast I tend to be hungry by lunch and I look to have a heavy meal that makes me feel bloated and sleepy. Somehow I know that it should not be that way. Now, I eat breakfast and I like to add some fruit or appetizers to eat during the day. For example, after I eat breakfast, I take fruit to work so that I can eat at around nine or ten just before lunch. This helps because when it is lunch time, you are not so hungry and you do not eat a big unhealthy meal. It helps you make a better choice for lunch; that is how I see it. Now my lunch is different, ever since I started eating breakfast, it makes me less hungry for lunch. I use to go to Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonalds, etc. for lunch constantly, now I like taking my own home cooked meal for lunch. I like taking sandwiches with some fruits and I am drinking plenty of water which is important too. I use to be one who would substitute water for coke or Dr. Pepper…my favorite. Now I have gotten better about drinking water. I take my water bottle to work with me and I actually do drink it all. I do go out to eat with my co-workers once in a while but I still keep it healthy, I try to order the healthiest food the restaurant has. I have heard of some healthy food that I have yet to try, such as sushi. My supervisor Kimberly is a vegetarian and she tells me a lot of vegie sushi, I will try it sometime and when I do, I hope I like it. Dinner- my dinner has changed quite a bit also. I use to eat out with my fiancée almost every night. Now, our dinner has changed from eating out, to eating home cooked meal. We like to eat chicken and salad, vegetables, etc. It may sound bad but it is actually very delicious. I never thought that I would enjoy my dinner as much as I do now. We change it up a bit and eat carbs two days out of the week which helps balance it out. Changing up the meals throughout the week has actually helped to keep me motivated. Also, having someone to share my change in nutrition with, such as my fiancée, has made it easier because we are both in it. The changes that I see in my diet are amazing. My mother has told me that I am looking thinner, which is a good thing. I have noticed that I am more active now than I was before. When I use to eat heavy food I would feel tired, sleepy and never wanted to do anything with family much less friends. I was always staying home and sleep. Now I am more active, I hang out with friends more often, I work out, and I do not feel as sleepy or tired as before. I also do not feel bloated after I eat anymore which is a good feeling. Every time I try to get out of hand with food, I try to remember how bad it felt being so full and bloated and not feeling comfortable when trying to sleep. I also enjoy drinking plenty of water and that was not the case several of weeks ago. Now when I feel thirsty, I seek for water instead of coke, juice or any other substitute there is. Now when I go out to eat with my friends, I tend to think more about how many calories, fat, cholesterol etc. Sometimes it is hard to choose from an unhealthy meal to a healthy one, but in the end I know it will pay off. There are still some things that I would like to keep changing from my lifestyle and I want to live a more healthy life. I want keep trying to stay more active for my son. I want to see him grow up. I try not to eat out with my co-workers so much because that is what made me get use to eating so much junk food in the first place. I hear them every day talk amongst themselves and ask where are, they going to go eat for lunch. I am happy to say that I am no longer part of that. I will go with them maybe once every two weeks, and even then, I do not eat unhealthy. I know that if I eat something unhealthy now, I will give up and go back to my old self when I use to eat all those burgers, pizza’s and many other fast food meals. I am very thankful for having to take this class because it made me aware of all the rights and wrongs of nutrition and how it can affect my health. I was making very bad decisions when it came to my nutrition. I was not fully aware of what my food choices were to causing my body, weight and health.